The Port MacDonnell Offshore Angling Club have broken more than fishing lines smashing Australian records on their home turf at the 41st Tuna and Sportfishing competition at Port MacDonnell in May.

While the week-long fishing competition took place earlier in the year – luring 130 keen entrants and 40 boats – the records have only recently been announced.

“When you get back to land you have to take all sorts of photos and measurements of everything from the gas to the line and rod,” said Port MacDonnell Offshore Angling club member Luke Little.

“You have to strip off the line, send away your rig and the last however many meters of line which gets tested to make sure it breaks at the right breaking strength.

“Once you get all the pictures and required material posted away it goes into pending for a while before it all gets tested and approved.

“It is a long process but worth it.”

Little broke an Australian record by catching a 23.82kg Tope Shark on a 4kg line.

His stellar school shark catch also earned him an Australian Record for Heaviest in Line Class.

“It is hard to catch a big fish on lightline – low breaking strain line,” Little said.

“It was such a good capture on such light line for a fish that size.

“When I caught it I knew it was going to give the record a shake that is for sure.”

Little has been fishing on his in-law’s boat Glasscutter for 13 years but this trip was extra special because it his my son’s first fishing trip and he beat fellow Port MacDonnell Angler Gary Clarke for the Australian Record.

Fifteen-year-old Georgia Barrett also broke an Australian Record catching a 9.5kg Southern Bluefin Tuna on 3kg line.

As the years go on, the line gets thinner, the fish get bigger and the records double with this being Barrett’s second Australian record bagging a 7.7kg Southern Bluefin Tuna on 4kg line in 2018.

Barrett has been fishing with her Dad Dewain Barrett since she was 6 on his boat Unsinkable 2.

“I would like to thank my Dad who was my Skipper and my Deckhand Linton Badman, both of whom battled with me for an hour and a half through rough weather with waves splashing over the back of the boat,” she said.